In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent U.S.A., managing pests will become even more critical with the changing weather. Field Market Development Specialist with Valent U.S.A., Todd Burkdoll said there is high potential for ant activity. Getting in front of ant problems at this point in the season can be a more effective approach versus waiting to address ant populations near harvest.
“Using an ant bait now, something that takes out the entire colony is advantageous. Esteem works really, really well,” said Burkdoll. “It doesn’t take very much – it’s active at very low rates – but it’s good to get it out early. I’d say mid-May, no later than the 1st of June is probably a good time for broadcasting Esteem ant bait. You can put it out in mounds, or you can broadcast it. I think the broadcasting is probably more effective.”
Growers will also want to closely monitor orchards for mite pressures at this point in the season. Mite development is directly impacted by temperatures. Burkdoll suggests addressing the issue at the first sign of mites can be helpful for effective management. “Early is a lot better than going on late. The damage has been done and you run the risk of defoliation going into harvest. You don’t want to have mites out there, you want a clean orchard,” Burkdoll explained.
Managing pests like mites and ants before populations get overwhelming will make overall control efforts more successful. Burkdoll said that mite populations in particular can grow exponentially in just a few days, making preventative efforts even more important.
“Zeal MVP is our new formulation of Zeal. It’s a liquid formulation. It’s highly effective at two spot mites and pacific mites,” said Burkdoll. “Coverage is really, really key because it is a contact material. It’s not systemic, so they have to come in contact with it. So again, early is better than going on when there’s a full-blown webbed over orchard that looks like the haunted forest in The Wizard of Oz.”
Listen to the report below.